DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMY AND NEUROBIOLOGY
364 Medical Surge
II; (949) 824-6050
anatomy@uci.edu; http://www.ucihs.uci.edu/anatomy/index.html
Ivan
Soltesz, Department Chair
Faculty
Aileen J. Anderson: Mechanisms of neurodegeneration and inflammation after central nervous system injury
Tallie Z. Baram: Developmental neurobiology of excitation and excitotoxicity; CNS mechanisms of stress response
Devin Binder: Glial cell roles in nervous system disease
Robert H. Blanks (Emeritus): Vestibular physiology and anatomy
Anne L. Calof: Developmental neurobiology; molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis and programmed cell death
Steven C. Cramer: Mapping and treating neurorecovery in humans
James H. Fallon (Emeritus): Human and molecular brain imaging, growth factors and adult stem cells in injured brain
Mark Fisher: Mechanisms of stroke
Christine M. Gall: Regulation of neuronal gene expression; neurotropic factors
Roland A. Giolli (Emeritus): Experimental neuroanatomy; visual system
Alan L. Goldin: Ion channels and CNS disease
Ranjan Gupta: Peripheral nerve injury
Hans S. Keirstead: Axon and myelin regeneration following spinal cord injury
Herbert P. Killackey: Developmental neuroanatomy; somatosensory system
Leonard M. Kitzes (Emeritus): Auditory system physiology and development
Robert Leonard: Clinical anatomy education
Frances M. Leslie: Effects of drugs of abuse on central nervous system development
Gary Lynch: Brain aging; synaptic plasticity
David C. Lyon: Anatomy and physiology of visual cortex and thalamus
Diane K. O'Dowd: Regulation of neuronal excitability; development of functional synaptic connections
Charles E. Ribak: Changes in neural circuitry in the epileptic brain
Richard T. Robertson: Developmental neurobiology
Steven S. Schreiber: Mechanisms of neural reorganization in CNS after injury and therapeutic applications
Martin A. Smith: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of synapse formation
Ivan Soltesz: Modulation of CNS inhibition
Oswald Steward: Mechanisms of recovery from injury
John E. Swett (Emeritus): Peripheral nervous system, spinal cord, pain mechanisms
John H. Weiss: Mechanisms of neural degeneration
Xiangmin Xu: Local inhibitory cortical circuits
Fan-Gang Zeng: Auditory prostheses
Research programs in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology in the School of Medicine focus on the neurosciences. Faculty interests range across all areas of basic and clinical research including cellular and molecular neurobiology, mechanisms of development, ion channel physiology, experimental neuroanatomy, structure and function of sensory and motor systems, response to injury and regeneration. The Department maintains facilities for electron microscopy, laser confocal microscopy, and computer-based imaging and informatics. Students performing graduate work in the Department are encouraged to become proficient in multiple areas of study using interdisciplinary techniques.
The Department offers graduate training under the auspices of the School of Biological Sciences in conjunction with the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program (INP). Students are eligible to enter the Department program only after meeting the specific requirements of the INP gateway curriculum. The Department program leads to a Ph.D. degree in Biological Sciences, awarded after successful completion of all requirements.
In concert with other departments, a combined neuroscience core curriculum has been developed which includes offerings in systems neurobiology, neurophysiology, and cellular, molecular, and developmental neurobiology that may be taken as complete or partial fulfillment of the requirements of the INP. Students admitted into the INP who subsequently select a research advisor in the Department begin following the departmental requirements for the Ph.D. at the beginning of their second year. Students may take additional elective courses at their own option, but are strongly encouraged to attend departmental seminars and participate in the Journal Club and an annual "Grad Day" symposium. The research topic for a student's dissertation is chosen by the student in consultation with the research advisor. Students are expected to advance to candidacy by the end of the third year by presenting and defending a proposal for their research dissertation. The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is five years, and the maximum time permitted is seven years.
Courses in Anatomy and Neurobiology
200 Research in Anatomy (2 to 12) F, W, S, Summer. Individual research supervised by a particular faculty member. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.
200R Research in Anatomy and Neurobiology for First-Year Students (2 to 12) F, W, S. Independent research within the laboratories of graduate training faculty in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology for first-year Ph.D. students. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be taken for credit three times.
201 Human Gross Anatomy (8) F, W, S. Lecture, three hours; laboratory, nine hours. Study and dissection of the human body, including muscular, skeletal, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Emphasis on both normal and abnormal structure and function. Prerequisites: graduate standing, consent of instructor.
202B Human Neuroscience (4) S. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour; laboratory, one hour. Study of the human nervous system at the systems level including the physiology and anatomy of sensory, motor, and integrative functions. Prerequisite: Anatomy 202A and consent of Department.
203A-B Human Microscopic Anatomy (3-3) F, W. Lecture, two hours; laboratory, three hours. Lecture and laboratory course on human microscopic anatomy. Emphasis is on functional implications of structure of cells and tissues. Prerequisites: graduate standing, consent of instructor.
206 Tutorial in Anatomy. Tutorial, three hours. Series of tutorials on advanced topics in anatomy. Each may be repeated for credit.
206A Surgical Anatomy (3) F. Exploration of topics in gross anatomy. Dissection/library work required. Prerequisites: Anatomy 201A-B.
206B Neuroanatomy (3) W. Exploration of special topics in neuroanatomy. Primarily library work, but study of prepared slides also included. Prerequisite: Anatomy 202.
206C Microanatomy (3) S. Special topics in microanatomy. Primarily library work, but study of prepared histological slides and photographs included. Prerequisites: Anatomy 203A-B.
207 Auditory System: Information Processing and Neurobiology (4). Seminar, four hours. Focuses on the neurobiology of the auditory system. Topics include signal processing, anatomy, physiology, plasticity, development, cochlear prosthetics, psychoacoustics, pathology, and speech. Publications related to hearing are presented and discussed. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.
210A-B Systems Neuroscience (5-5) F, W. Study of the mammalian nervous system at the systems level. Anatomy and physiology of sensory, motor, and integrative functions. Prerequisite: Neurobiology and Behavior graduate student or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit twice. Same as Neurobiology and Behavior 208A-B.
225 Seminar in Excitotoxicity and Neuronal Injury (4) S. A review of recent theories concerning mechanisms of neuronal death in brain diseases. Focuses on recent breakthroughs and controversies in the field, with a special emphasis on the role of the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate. Same as Neurobiology and Behavior 256.
227A-B-C Current Topics in Neuroscience (1 to 4) F, W, S. Focuses on critical reading, presentation, and discussion of current literature in neuroscience research. Prerequisites: graduate standing and consent of instructor.
230A Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Neurobiology (4) F. Lecture, three hours. Molecular aspects of the structure and function of neurons and glia including neurotransmission, synaptic modulation, and channels. Neural development at the cellular and molecular level including neurogenesis, pattern formation, trophic factors, axonal growth, and synaptic rearrangement. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Formerly Developmental and Cell Biology 231D.
292A-B-C Scientific Communication (2-2-2) F, W, S. Seminar, two hours. Small group meetings for graduate students to practice scientific writing, debate, and presentation skills. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be repeated for credit.
400E Spinal Cord Injury Research Techniques (4) Summer. Intensive four-week training course in experimental approaches to spinal cord injury. Laboratory techniques cover pathophysiology, experimental models used, and accepted outcome measures (both functional and anatomical). Lectures and seminars by invited speakers and distinguished scholars-in-residence. Prerequisites: Anatomy and Neurobiology graduate student and consent of instructor. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. Same as Neurobiology and Behavior 400E.